Yearning for Yoga

Kim is home so that means yoga is on for tonight.  She was flying last week so it has been 2 weeks since my last practice because, of course, I did NOTHING during the break.  Nothing yoga anyway.  I haven't been down to the basement since Frank's class Saturday so I think my day will be spent down there straightening up and working on some sewing.  Wellllllll.....Maybe I will make my grape jelly first....

Oh but wait....before the jelly, I need to go to the drug store and get Frank's prescription.  But before that I need to iron the linens and drop them off to the church on the way to the drugstore.  After the drugstore I have to stop by a parishioner's house and pick up her laundry to wash for her. Then when I get home I can start on the jelly and straighten the basement. Then I have to start dinner so we can eat at least an hour before I start contorting myself into all those poses.  My sewing may have to wait....we'll see.....Ohmmmmmm.....I really need my yoga.

I am very happy to report that I got everything on my list accomplished.  I got up early and ironed the linens, went to the church to drop them off and stayed for Mass.  After Mass, I hit the drugstore, circled around to pick up laundry, stopped at the grocery store and was home by 10 am.  Made my jelly and got the Lasagna ready to go in the oven.  Went into the basement, straightened it up, did some sewing, moved all the furniture in preparation for yoga and now I am sitting here with a glass of ice water and my computer and it is only 2 pm.  Wooohoooo.

 

I only used 2 quarts of the juice that Kurt gave me and ended up with all these

 beautiful jars of Grape Jelly using the recipe in this book. 

 They will look lovely in baskets with my other canned goods as Christmas gifts.

 

 

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

 

It was a good productive day and hopefully the start of a great week.  See you all tomorrow.

Let's Talk Turkey

Oh my goodness.  You really need to click on this link so that you can see my turkeys getting revenge on my dog, Bella.  They spent the first month and a half of their life being chased and terrified by her and they are NOT going to take it any more.  This is the funniest thing!!!  I can't figure out how to post it onto this page so the best I could come up with is linking you to my fb page..Enjoy..
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200859588227480&set=vb.1097565107&type=2&theater

Funday Sunday

We have been waiting for over a month for today to arrive.....Last day of the Renaissance Festival and we will be there with great people and all decked out in our Renaissance Finery. 

We have been to the Renaissance Festival numerous times but we have never dressed for it before so this will be a new experience.  Frank is especially excited.....he went out last night to buy some hair for his Viking outfit and ended up with an entire new Viking outfit.  He looks hilarious.

 

My Viking!!

 

 

The whole motley crew!!

 

We had a great time even though it rained the entire time we were there.  We watched some skits, drank some wine, ate some food and did some shopping.  It was a funday Sunday.

One of my favorite stops while at the Festival is Fairy Secrets Candles.  These are amazing.  They are made entirely of lotion and when lit melt down into liquid form that can be poured out for an exquisite warm, comforting application.  They are great for massages without any oil stains on the sheets and soak deep into the skin for great moisturizing.  One jar lasts us the entire year.  And they smell wonderful!!!

A Midnight Visitor

Well okay, It's not really midnight it is only 9 pm but that is close to midnight in this household since we are normally in bed by 10 pm.  Anyway, this little guy was just hanging out on our doorwall and I couldn't resist sharing his visit with you.

 

I have never seen one of these little guys with the suction cup feet in real life.  I have seen like cartoon type drawings of them but I thought they were like tropical or something and this sure ain't the tropics LOL. He didn't seem to mind having his picture taken, and I took several of them.  I think this is the one that turned out the best....I'm not much of a photographer.

A is for Apples.

The other day we stopped by to see Kurt and he was canning grape juice.  He generously gave my 3 quarts already processed so I can make jelly without doing all the hard work.  Then he allowed me and  Frank to pick apples off his trees so it looks like it is applesauce time again.

It was pretty easy work, the trees are loaded.

Now comes the real work.

The ensemble, in which Frank is a member, is singing at the 4 pm Mass tonight.  I won't be going because the choir, in which we are both members, is singing at 9:30 Mass tomorrow.  So I will stay home and make my applesauce.  After Mass we are going out to dinner with John and Kirsten and their daughter in law's brother, Greg, who is in the Seminary here in Detroit and has the weekend off so he will spend it with them. After dinner we will have a game night.  I think we should play Apples to Apples, just to keep with my theme here!!

The finished product. 

Shooting Saturday and Weekly Menu

Frank is giving another CPL (concealed pistol license) class today so I made a 15 Bean Soup in my Crockpot and a Sandwich Tray for the class for lunch.  I also found some Halloween colored chocolate chips and made them cookies for dessert.

Tomorrow we are dressing in costume and spending the day at the Renaissance Festival, should be a great time.

Posted below you will find my Weekly Menu.......Please come back each day for photos and recipes.  Have a great weekend!!

Saturday
15 Bean Soup with Ham
Assorted Sandwiches
Halloween Cookies

Sunday
Renaissance Festival

Meatless Monday
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna (recipe found in this book)

Tuesday
Date Night

Wednesday
Chicken Enchiladas

Thursday
Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
Potato Pancakes
Green Beans

Fish Friday
Newburg Pot Pie (Recipe found in Cuisine at Home, Issue #65)

Find more great menu ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

Wine Tasting Dinner with Friends

I  decided to have some friends over tonight for a wine tasting dinner.  My friend, Tamie, has just started discovering wines and was asking my opinion so I invited her over to try some different wines.  I then asked our friends, Linda and Greg Benda, to join us.  Linda and Greg are a wonderful, welcoming couple who love food and wine as much as we do and will be able to answer a lot of Tamie's questions.  So, needless to say, the shrimp pad thai is off the menu and a new menu is created for this special night

Wine Tasting Menu

Featuring Kendall-Jackson Winery

Spicy Citrus Shrimp-Sauvignon Blanc

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup-Chardonnay

Arugula and Pears with Shaved Parmesan-Chardonnay

Orichiette with Spiced Chicken Ragu-Merlot

Cranberry Sorbet

Individual Beef Wellington with Glazed Carrots-Cabernet Sauvignon

Apple Crumb Pie-Coffee

 

 

The Shrimp and Beef Wellington Recipes came from Cuisine at Home, Issue 42.  I make some changes to the original recipes to please the palates of my household.  The Soup recipe is linked to allrecipes.com and the Pasta recipe is from epicurious.com using chicken thighs instead of duck. The Sorbet is from a fun cookbook called Louisiana Entertains and the Carrots, Salad and Pie are my recipes. 

 

I enjoy having wine tasting parties.  Tonight we are trying several varietals from the same winery.  Sometimes we will have the same type of wine but from several different wineries.  And sometimes I will have different wineries and different varietals depending on my mood and the guests invited. I always try to make these dinners special for my guests.  I try to find neat little keepsakes for them to help them remember their experience.

 

 I found these cute little pumpkins on sale and used them as place cards.

 

 My table all set and ready to go.

 

I place a menu at each place setting so that everyone knows what they are being served and which wine is being poured to go with the dish.

Butternut Squash Soup

 

Orichiette with Spiced Chicken Ragu.

 

 

Individual Beef Wellington with Glazed Carrots.

 

Dinner was wonderful but all that wine tasting about did me in and I have to get up early tomorrow to get ready for Frank's CPL class so it is bedtime for me.  Good Night All, Sweet Dreams.